Refuse handling device



April 10, 1956 E. z. BAcKl-:s 2,741,375

REFUSE HANDLING DEVICE Filed Feb. 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l llllllllr INVENTOR.

LME/5 Z. BAC/(ES 4 TTORNEYS April 10, 1956 E. z. BAcKl-:s 2,741,375

REFUSE HANDLING DEVICE Filed Feb. 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

ELME? Z. BA CKES ATTORNEYS Unite States Patent REFUSE HANDLIBIG DEVICE Elmer Z. Backes, Pomona, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to `liunniie V. Thnrmond and Effie May 'Ihm-mond, Bexar County, Tex.

Application February 17, 1955, Serial No. $8,932

4 Claims. (Cl. 214-82) This invention relates to refuse handling devices of the type incoiporating an elongated refuse collection body adapted for mounting on a motor truck chassis or the like with means arranged therein for comprising refuse as it is collected so as to increase substantially therloaded capacity of the body, and more particularly to an advantageous arrangement of accessory means within the body for facilitating the refuse compression.

Refuse collection bodies of the above noted type are disclosed in U. S. Patents No. 2,258,988, issued October 14, 1941, No. 2,557,003, issued June l2, 1951, and No. 2,696,925, issued December 14, i954. Such bodies are characterized by an elongated form of uniform cross section, by dumping doors arranged for closing an end thereof, by a loading opening therein spaced longitudinally from the dumping doors, and by a packer member disposed transversely within the body for longitudinal movement past the loading opening to pack loaded refuse by compression against the dumping doors when closed and to discharge compressed refuse through the dumping doors when open.

The accessory means provided according to the present invention comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced finger stays carried at the upper part of the inner face of the body between the loading opening and the dumping doors and arranged for pivoting between a normal hanging position, at which they are braced against movement away from the dumping doors, and a displaced position, at which they extend parallel with the inner face of the body in the direction of the dumping doors, so that the nger stays serve to support compressed refuse against falling away from the dumping doors when the packer member is withdrawn therefrom, while remaining displaceable to release the compressed refuse for discharge through the dumping doors.

This nger stay arrangement and other features of the present invention are described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

-ig. l is a side elevation, partly broken away and sectioned, of a refuse handling device incorporating an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2'is a rear end view substantially as seen from the right in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an exploded view illustrating the structural arrangement of the finger stays.

In the refuse handling device shown in the drawings to illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, the elongated refuse collection body thereof, as mentioned above, is indicated generally by the reference numeral lib, with dumping doors l1 arranged to close its rear end and side doors provided at i2 to form a loading opening therein spaced longitudinally from the dumping doors 1i toward the forward body end. Inside the body it), a packer member or compressor plate 13 is disposed transversely for longitudinal movement past the loading opening at the side doors l2 toV compress loaded refuse against the dumping doors 1l when closed, as well as to discharge the compressed refuse through dumping doors 11 when open. Longitudinal movement of the packer member 13 2,741,375 ?atented Apr. 10, 1956 ice is provided for through means such as a sprocket chain connection, as at 14, extended between an idler sprocket at l5 and a winch at 16 to pull the packer member 13 longitudinally in either direction within the body 1l). Power for driving the winch i6 to move the packer member i3 longitudinally in this manner may be supplied by a suitable drive train from the motor of a motor truck i? on which the body 16 is mounted as illustrated in Fig. l, and as is disclosed in further detail in the above noted prior patents.

It will be noted that the packer member i3 is arranged so that its bottom portion curves or projects towards the dumping doors ll. The purpose of this arrangement of the packer member is to exert a lifting action on refuse as it is compressed against the dumping doors 11 and thereby raise the refuse during compression so that it is packed throughout the cross section of the body 10. During the loading of the body iti with collected refuse several successive compressions are necessary to clear the loading opening periodically for receiving additional refuse as it is collected, and the packer member 13 is accordingly operated to compress the collected refuse in successive batches toward the dumping doors 1l, which means that the packer member must be withdrawn after compressing each batch of refuse to prepare for compression of a succeeding batch. Upon this withdrawal of the packer member 13 from a compressed batch of refuse there is a tendency for the topmost part of the compressed batch, which has been raised upwardly in the body 1d by the lifting action of the packer member 13, to topple over forwardly or fall away from the dumping doors 1i and thereby lose its packed arrangement, as well as render more difticult the succeeding compression. According to the present invention this complication is eliminated by providing an arrangement of finger stays 13 within the body l@ to support the top portion of succeed ing refuse batches as they are compressed so as to maintain the fully packed arrangement of each batch as the packer member 13 is withdrawn therefrom.

The finger stays l are carried at the upper part of the near face of the body 10 with a longitudinally spaced arrangement between the loading opening at the side doors l2 and the dumping doors 1i. The spacing of the finger stays 18 should start closely adjacent the loading opening so as to provide support esgecialy for the last of the succeeding refuse batches that are compressed, and should extend for a major portion of the lengdi of the body l0 toward the dumping doors 1l, although it is not necessary to provide the finger stays i8 closely adjacent the dumping doors ll because less dinculty is encountered with toppling over of the iirst of the cornpressed refuse batches, as the first batch compressions are carried out directly against the dumping doors l1, or with a relatively small amount of previously compressed refuse interposed, so that a more secure packing of the refuse is obtained during such compressions. Also, it is easier to recompress any part of an early batch that topples over, due to the smaller total amount of compressed refuse being dealt with.

An etective arrangement of the linger stays 18 consists of three longitudinal rows thereof with a center row positioned centrally at the top of the body lil and one row spaced at each side thereof, as shown in the drawings. The finger stays 18 are suitably formed of steel straps or bars, and they are conveniently mounted within the body it) on hangers formed by a top plate i9 secured at the inner face of the body itl by welding, or in any other effective manner, and carrying spaced side plates 29 between which the inger stays 18 may be assembled on pivot pins 21. An end plate 22 is preferably arranged in covering relation at the front ends of the top and side 

